Tash Frootko moved to Gloucester, England more than 20 years ago. In that time, she has certainly left her mark on the city in the form of entire neighborhoods transformed by color!
Tash is the artist behind Gloucester’s increasingly famous “Rainbow Street” project. Located about 10 minutes from the city center are two streets with buildings painted in vivid blues, reds, greens, and every other shade in the rainbow.
Tash began her project back in 2018 as a way to inject lively colors into the dull buildings of Gloucester, many of which had become dilapidated after years of neglect.
“I like to see potential in everything and I see Gloucester as a huge blank canvas,” she explained. “Rows of Victorian terraced houses look sublime when painted in bold and vivid colours. It brings them back to life after being allowed to become drab and soulless. Previously this area of the city had no identity and this project has given it just that.
The colorful streets are so popular with both locals and tourists that Tash got the green light to expand her colorful vision elsewhere in the city. In 2022, she teamed up with fellow artists Zoe Power and Eloisa Henderson-Figueroa to create a series of murals in the city center. Tash’s team painted 25 more houses on three adjoining streets to create Rainbow Square.
The gorgeous new destination was unveiled in May 2022, and it’s already a huge hit with everyone who sees it!
Tash says Rainbow Square is “the most colourful square” in all of England. She hopes her trademark pops of color become a widespread trend to inject every environment with fun, cheerful splashes of life.
“I want to make an environment for people to live in the best environment they can live in and for people to live really happy lives,” she said, adding, “The response from the public has been overwhelmingly positive – all generations and cultures are enjoying what I do and asking me to continue on and transform run down parts of the city that people tend to make a negative opinion on.”
Tash says it’s a true “honour” to transform these run-down city blocks because “everyone deserves to live in a wonderful environment and to love where they live.” We couldn’t agree more. Can she come do our streets, next?
Watch the video below to learn more about Tash’s new Rainbow Square, and don’t forget to share.
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